Poll: Romney has support from 47%

Mitt Romney has said that “47 percent” of Americans “are dependent upon government” and will vote for President Barack Obama “no matter what,” but a new poll suggests many of those people support the GOP nominee instead.

Among registered voters who earn less than $24,000 annually, 34 percent support Romney, versus 58 percent for Obama, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday.

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The numbers improve for Romney with voters earning between $24,000 and $36,000 annually: 41 percent for Romney, 53 percent for Obama.

In a leaked recording from a May fundraiser in Florida, Romney said that “47 percent” of President Barack Obama’s supporters “pay no income tax.”

“All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them…” Romney said in the video. “And they will vote for this president no matter what. And the president starts off with 48, 49 … he starts off with a huge number. These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of people pay no income tax.”

As Gallup notes, “Older Americans who have low incomes are those who have the highest chance of paying no income tax.” And yet, Gallup data shows that of voters aged 65 and older who make less than $24,000 a year, 43 percent support Romney.

The poll’s results are based on telephone interviews with 9,839 registered voters conducted from Aug. 27-Sept. 16, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percent.